Plastic Bags Not Banned in Cali

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On Tuesday, California voted 14-21 against a statewide ban on plastic shopping bags. According to the Environmental Leader: "The bill, which GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger hailed when it passed the State Assembly in June, would have barred grocery stores, large pharmacies and retailers such as Target and Wal-Mart that sell food from offering plastic bags in 2012. The ban would have extended to convenience stores, drugstores and mom-and-pop shops in 2013. Consumers would have had to carry their goods in reusable bags or buy recycled paper ones at store cost." [EL]